Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Honduras Mission Trip 2011

Travel Tuesdays #1

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Sometime during summer of 2011 a good friend of mine told me about a mission trip that his Dad (Tom) went on every year to Honduras. Tom is a nurse anesthesiologist (or CRNA for short) at the hospital where I lived at the time and he went with a team every fall to Sula san Pedro, Honduras to perform surgeries. When I found out I immediately thought about how much fun it would be and also what a great learning experience it could be, but I dismissed the idea because it would be too expensive.

After a lot of praying, and talking with my family, I decided that I would go to Honduras. I felt that it was something I needed to do. Even if I was in the middle of nursing school. Even if it was more money than I thought I could raise. I signed up. I funraised hard. And, my prayers were answered, an anonymous team member donated her share of the raised money to myself and I would be going for sure! I know you're tired of reading, so without further ado here are a lot of pictures.

This is what I look like after riding on a bus for 3 hours at 2 am, then a 4 hour flight from Atlanta to Honduras, and then another 2 hour bus ride to the hospital. Attractive, I know.

This is what most of our money for the trip went to... our living quarters for the week. There were two bunk rooms, and three single rooms. It was a pretty nice stay if you didn't mind showering in front of other people.

Let me say here that during the first night of our stay I spiked a fever and was unable to participate at all the first day of surgeries. I was sad puppy for sure. On the second day I did a lot of observing and running around. And this:

I got to assist in removing a gallbladder. I couldn't even begin to explain how stoked I was.

Its hard to tell but I'm smiling like an extra large goober behind those goggles and mask.

Some of the women that worked at the hospital have their children dropped of there after school and we got to hang out with them one afternoon. Even though we couldn't understand each other very well, it was tons of fun.

Hanging out in the Post-Op room with Scott, who was there with a different group. Since this trip I've followed him and he's been living in Haiti for like, a year, doing physical therapy. Sometimes I wish I could be that awesome.

We walked around the hospital campus and I wanted to share this picture. This is the wash room where two ladies wash every piece of linen the hospital uses on that scrub board and those basins filled with bleach. Seeing this really humbled me and made me thankful for things I take for granted every day. Like washing machines.

Hanging out and reppin' Auburn with two of my favorite ladies from the trip in the post-op room.

On the final day of surgery I got to experience the most awesome thing in the world: childbirth. To some most it is probably really icky to think about. But I got to hold this woman's hand before she went under and help bring a beautiful baby boy into the world. It still brings tears to my eyes thinking about the moment that woman first held her son.

8 comments:

Ah I missed out on a Honduras mission trip a few years ago and it sitll makes me sad. The opportunity to scrub in on surgeries is spectacular, too, I always loved getting to dot hat one summer when I worked at a hospital.

This is wonderful! What a fabulous experience! I have always wanted to go on a mission trip! My brother is a pre-med student now and has been on a couple to areas similar to Honduras. What a wonderful way to serve! Thanks for sharing!

What a great experience! I really admire people like you who go on mission trips, I don't have any medical knowledge so I'm not much use. Here in Morocco I try to do my best with arty stuff or 4x4 humanity trips.Thanks for sharing this wonderful post :)xBelhttp://b-by-bel.blogspot.com/